01. Contents:
02. Good to See you & Koyejo Yesterday
03. Yesterday’s Sunday Message
04. 24.05.26 (Next Sunday): Monthly Music Extra Sunday with Violinist Susie Joining Jason
05. 31.05.26: Gratitude and Foodbank Collection Service
06. Keeping Colds at Bay & Treating Them
07. Early Hols
08. Good UK Weather Coming Up
09. Broomway Walk (7 Miles Total), Maplin Sands, Essex Coast 26 / 27
10. Celebrating Confirmation of Ricky’s & Jason’s New Employment Posts
11. Uncanny Tales & The First Vampire Novel: Carmilla
12. Ant Sidford RIP
13. Random News
2. Good to See You & Koyejo Yesterday
It was lovely see those in chapel yesterday, not least Koyejo midway through his chemo who was looking very well indeed and was off on an engagement after chapel.
3. Yesterday’s Sunday Message
Thanks to my cold I’m not sure my theme was as well communicated as I’d hoped, for all the theme resonated particularly with some, but in simple terms it was: to live simply requires, above all, to be open and straightforward ourselves; that is much aided by our spending more of our time with those who are open and straightforward; and we might have to dispense with or better manage family members and others who would otherwise complicate our lives and bring us down. I mentioned a good friend who put up with her hyper-critical mother and siblings I’d met who were prone to diminish her and her achievements (which were many) to my astonishment and concealed anger on meeting them, by recognising they had the problem, a determination they were not going to hold her back, and for the sake of her nephews and nieces who were delightful and more than a compensation to her.
4. 24.05.26 (Next Sunday): Monthly Music Extra Sunday with Violinist Susie Joining Jason
Including a classic mainstream hymn, a modern hymn and a hymn new to us; and short and longer musical offerings, the latter probably being folk music.
5. 31.05.26: Gratitude and Foodbank Collection Service
We manage to be such a jolly group based not only on not taking ourselves too seriously and a good sense of humour, but above all on a real gratitude for our lives and all the good people and things in them. Recognising this, our last service of the month is now gratitude themed; and recognising that gratitude fully expressed involves generosity, our foodbank collection also now takes place on the last Sunday of the month. Here’s a link to what’s particularly needed at present: https://lambethcroydon.foodbank.org.uk/support-us/donate-food
6. Keeping Colds at Bay & Treating Them
I’m sorry my personal greetings had to be so distant on Sunday on account of my cold and my thanks for your cooperation in protecting yourselves. Do take care elsewhere too. Reetu and Jason were telling us that colds are doing the rounds again. Perhaps that has something to do with this cold snap. Certainly, mine comes after being caught in a sudden squall in a quad on the Wey at Weybridge on Wednesday that left me thoroughly drenched. We were mid-row and I’d just taken off my waterproof jacket after feeling a bit too hot. At least the weather was behind me. The poor cox got it straight in the face, bless her; the drama of which was underlined by her non waterproof mascara!
Feel free to attend with sniffles if travelling in independently. Just let us know on arrival and we’ll arrange for you to be seated reasonably far from others and served your refreshments in the chapel.
Thanks for sharing with me your favourite cold remedies, not least hot lemon and ginger. Prone to colds on account of having asthma and being a bit out there, and being obliged to work through them, I have to stock up on day and night capsules (which, inter alia, stops a runny nose and sneezing, such that I was able to attend chapel at a distance yesterday), bronchial mixture, Jakeman’s, vapour rub (applied liberally to the occipital area at the rear skull base, temples, under the nose, under the arms, behind the knees and on the soles of the feet in socks, before bed), and low calorie hot chocolate (as effective as sleeping pills without the side-effects, according to some). It’s also cheaper to get these things at the larger supermarkets than at the chemist and locally. Most weeks I also make Jewish Penicillin, that is good chicken soup from the carcass of the cooked chicken we treat ourselves to from the supermarket. That shall be my staple today (Monday), along with lots of naps with my cat Rusty in-between my admin, so its not so bad.
6. Early Hols
Stephen kicked off our trips overseas this year, having just returned from a very enjoyable Baltic cruise with his friend Sandra. For our others lucky to be off on early hols overseas (including Bruce and Joan, Iain and Elixabeth), remember to take day and night capsules with you along with the sun cream, aftersun, Imodium, rehydration salts, Rennie’s, paracetamol, gilet, light mac and a hat. Flights are as certain as the Underground to give one colds, and there’s no time to be messing about with them on these occasions particularly.
7. Good UK Weather Coming Up
Thankfully those of us who will be staying in the UK over the coming weeks will be enjoying some great weather too, as Amanda reminded us on Sunday.
8. Broomway Walk (7 Miles Total), Maplin Sands, Essex Coast
Andrew says the good weather will include the next Bank Holiday Monday when three of us from chapel (myself joined by Andrew and Ali) will be doing this ancient and notorious Bronze Age walk out of Andrew’s village (Great Wakering) with 14 others from Morley College Rambling Club and a local professional guide. Andrew’s folks Val and Podge are helping with transport from Shoeburyness to the departure and return point at Great Wakering Stairs. I will be taking bookings almost immediately (c £25; free for those on IS) for next year which gets booked up quickly, so get your skates on if you want to come. Here’s an evocative description from Hugh McFarlane (author of modern classic, The Old Ways) to wet your apetites: https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20170110-why-the-broomway-is-the-most-dangerous-path-in-britain
9. Celebrating Confirmation of Jason’s & Ricky’s New Employment Posts
Previously we mentioned these had been confirmed and to celebrate Andrew and I decided to attend the black-tie gourmet dinner at Lincoln’s Inn this year recently and invite Jason, Ricky and Emily (one of my female colleagues I’d not seen for a while) who like good food. It was a lovely evening and we’ve some nice pictures to share later.
10. Uncanny Tales
Within the congregation we have numerous avid readers. For example, Iain likes to relax with sci-fi and Andrew with almost anything. In my case its spooky tales, M R James being my favourite author. Building on a great weekend course at Maddingley Hall, Cambridge with Andrew last year I’m now undertaking a weekly course over 10 weeks on Uncanny Tales at the City Lit in Covent Garden, which has begun with a look at Freud’s unpacking of the uncanny which has been fascinating. I have also managed to squeeze-in an online evening class at Elizabeth Gaskell House, Manchester on Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla, an intriguing early vampire novel with a homoerotic, lesbian quality that predates Bram Stoker’s Dracula by quite some time and from which he borrows extensively. There was much discussion on both authors being Irish and Stoker’s decision to make his vampire a man. Let me know what you think. It’s a short read and I recommend it highly.
11. Ant Sidford RIP
Most of you will know that my good friend Ant Sidford of Crouch End finally passed away recently after a very long and gruelling battle with ill health, aged 60. I had known Ant since he and I had been law students together at the LSE (although he became involved in property), during and after which he and Andrew had gone clubbing together from time to time. He was an intelligent (nobody could do The Guardian crossword quicker), well read, interesting, kind, fun, irascible and unique character who will be greatly missed. Our thoughts at this time are with his wife Julia, sons Alfie and Tom, parents Maureen and Michael, brother Andrew, and best friend John. I will give the committal prayer by the graveside at the funeral on Friday.
12. Random News
The lovely old ULEZ compliant Rover 75 enters her 25th year, heated leather seats and all, to convey us about in modest style, with many thanks to Jules in Colwyn Bay for helping keep her on the road in pristine condition and for supporting the environment to that extent. I mentioned Andrew and I were very impressed with both Chester and Llandudno where we spent a night and a couple of nights respectively in very decent weather. Let me know if you need any tips on accommodation, etc. We’ve now cut off a bit of branch from the old fallen lime tree for Ali to fashion into the missing Joseph from the nativity set. It is now drying out in one of our garages, Ali saying limewood is ideal for the job. You may have also picked-up on my having started to row again. I’ve pulled my weight in a quad, but have had to be carried out of the boat twice and now have this insufferable cold, so steady as she goes methinks!
Much love
Julian